“Keeper of the Lost Cities” by Shannon Messer
Source: Library
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Fantasy
Summary:
Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain.
Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known.
Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come “home.”
There are secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for.

Occasionally as a library paraprofessional, I read a book intentionally with two different perspectives in mind: for myself as an adult and for recommendations for my patrons (young and old).
For my younger patrons: this was a high energy fantasy series that was chock full of mysteries at every turn. I loved getting to see the school & this new world. [I didn’t care for the lack of explaining in the world.]
As an adult: the series was fun but full of recycled tropes. Sophie being the most special & most talented everything got to be pretty old after a while. I didn’t care that she was constantly getting into trouble but for breaking rules/laws that she doesn’t know about. Should someone explain something to her at somepoint?
Here’s the thing. I’m an adult who has been reading for fun for 20+ years. I’ve encountered so many books & tropes over the years. This is nothing new to me. HOWEVER, I think every kid (or generation of kids) needs their own fantasy series. Yes, Harry Potter & Percy Jackson are still fairly popular & well read. I’m discovering more kids are over them or simply looking for something newer? I think Keepers is going to fit that bill for them. Sophie is shaping up to be the chosen one to save her world, finding her way through a new & slightly scary world, with the support of friends.
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I am reading this right now, my mum read the entire series and loved it which i was so shocked by so i decided to give it a try as well. I am enjoying it so far.
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I really love this series (or did, up until a few books ago), but largely because I find it unintentionally hilarious. Sophie is a Chosen One with like nine (and counting?) special powers, five potential love interests/crushes, and a flying unicorn. And the adult “supervision” is always limited to them saying no to Sophie until she yells and cries them into letting her run off into danger with her friends. Priceless.
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Sometimes we need a good book to make us chuckle. I may continue when I need another adventure with a Chosen One.
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The series is definitely a commitment. The books just keep getting longer and longer! So I understand not continuing if you aren’t that interested. At this point, I can’t even feel entirely sure that the next book is the last one, because they keep adding more to the series.
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